Local Catholics hope new pope brings changes to faith

Kris JohnsonStaff Writer

Friday

Mar 8, 2013 at 2:00 PM

Since Pope Benedict XVI resigned late last month, local Catholics are concerned about what type of person will be selected as his successor.

Since Pope Benedict XVI resigned late last month, local Catholics are concerned about what type of person will be selected as his successor. In a March 3 poll taken by The Associated Press asking who’s next to lead the Roman Catholic Church, people suggested everything from a Latin American pope to one more like the conservative, Polish-born John Paul II. What most agreed on, however, was that the church is in dire need of a comeback.“What I would like to see is for a pope to come in and bring back more reverence in the church,” said Arianne Naquin, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. “I’d like certain things to be enforced like not speaking in church and not eating or drinking an hour before receiving Jesus.”A decline in Mass attendance and in the number of faithful, practicing Catholics, as well as clergy sex-abuse scandals have taken their toll on the church. So many parishioners said the next pope should be open about the problems and offer ideas for solutions, rather than ignore them.The Rev. Josh Rodrigue of St. Francis, who has studied at the Vatican, said he has faith in the cardinals, the senior ecclesiastical officials who, as a body, elect the new pope. “This period of choosing the new papal leader is not a campaign period but a discernment period where the cardinals gather in prayer,” he said. “The media often doesn’t understand how this can be a spiritual thing. This is primarily spiritual, not political. The cardinals are also each given time to speak and surface issues with regard to the church in the world today and the needs of the new evangelization and getting the gospel out in a new way.” Rodrigue said he knows the governing body of the Catholic Church is searching for someone “who can lead us to have fresh insight as to how to relate the church to the world and allow the world to better understand teaching of the church better.” He said he doesn’t believe the church is attempting to sweep sex-abuse scandals under the rug, adding that the cardinals will discuss what papal candidate is the best choice to address the issue. Any unmarried Catholic man qualified to be a bishop can be the pope. The man must be at least 35. “It could be a priest or a bishop, but in reality, it’s usually one of the cardinals,” Rodrigue said. One local said one change she hopes for is that the new pope is much younger than his predecessors. “The Catholic Church is behind the times; maybe someone younger would be more willing to bring about change,” said Abby-Lynne Pellegrin, 50, of Houma. Part of Pope Benedict XVI’s mission was in line with Pellegrin’s idea. The first step he made in achieving this goal was by becoming the first pope with a Twitter account. Naquin said she thinks those efforts were great, and she wouldn’t mind if the next leader keeps it going. “I strongly believe that the youth will carry this faith in the future,” she said. “Social networking is not particularly my thing, but it is the youth’s. So if that allows them to have knowledge and become more faithful and closer to the Lord, if that’s the tool they must use, then I cannot condemn that.” Some Catholics, like Pellegrin, have other, more controversial ideas for change, including “allowing priests to marry,” she said. Rodrigue said that idea in particular is not impossible, as it is not part of the faith’s doctrine, just more of a practice and tradition. “One thing we have to remember is that the church has changed very little in terms of doctrine since the first pope, Peter, because doctrine doesn’t change,” he said. “The way it is presented often changes to make it presentable and understandable to the people and the church of the modern world.” The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux has a married priest who came in from the Episcopal Church, Rodrigue said. In such cases, a priest’s work load is diminished and he’ll serve as an associate or have another job to supplement income. “That’s more so because a priest’s salary will not provide for a family and for children’s education or college,” he said. “So lots of time the priest may be a teacher in a school or something like that.” The pope can change anything outside of doctrine. For example, Rodrigue said, the pope could decide everyone must kneel while taking communion. The decision can be made individually, but former popes have typically consulted cardinals, theologians and congregation members to study Catholic legislative text and centuries of changes and practices. Not everyone has something they’d like to see change. Connie Domangue, a parishioner of St. Francis, said she’s happy with the Catholic Church just the way it is. “I’m fine with everything,” said Domangue, who adamantly added that she feels the traditions and the workings of her faith are fine as they are. The College of Cardinals, the body that selects the new pope, will meet for a papal conclave, when preparations began Monday, in seclusion until the next pope has been decided upon, when they release white smoke through the air to alert Catholics that a decision was made. Officials have said they would like for a decision on a new pope by next week, so the new head of the Catholic Church can preside over Holy Week ceremonies.Rodrigue feels the choice of a new pope is already made. “God has already chosen the next man,” he said. “We’re just praying that the cardinals listen, and we’re looking forward to the acceptance of this man that’s chosen. We want a holy pope, and we want the one that God has chosen.”

Staff Writer Kris Johnson can be reached at 857-2207 or kris.johnson@houmatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @krisLjo.

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